You've been meaning to build a website for the past three months but every time start you get lost in complicated jargon that makes you feel like you are back in Eschatology class. And because you are most likely the pastor of a small church, that makes you responsible for sifting through all this information just for your congregation to get upset when you don't post the pictures of the fall festival with their kid's picture. It might feel like it is taking 40 years, but do not worry, this article will be your pillar of fire that guides you in the dessert of building websites.
You know that to find a website, you type in the name of the website into Google and it "usually" pops up. The way Google is able to guide you to this website is because the website has a unique website name that is special to that website. This is called the domain name and every website has to have one. The domain name of this website is fwbsite.com. Once you have a domain name, then you are able to make other webpages such as a home page, an about page, etc. Domain names are rented on a yearly basis and typically cost between $7.00 and $25.00 per year. Most of the time, the platform that you build your website on will also provide a way of renting the domain name as well. Which brings us to the next thing your website must have.
By now, you have been getting ads for web hosting platforms for the past 3 months because that is when you first stetted this process. Sqaurespace, Weebly, Blue Host, Hostinger... The list goes on. But why do you need a platform anyway? Well, just like you need land to build a house on, you need a server (fancy word for computer), for your website live on. These platforms "host" your website and ensure that when someone types in your website name, your website is online and can be accessed. These platforms typically also provide the tools that you need to actually "build" the website.
You can expect to pay anywhere between $5 to $20 dollars per month for your web host. There is no good "free" way to host your website (I have looked). For most churches, a basic plan is sufficient. Most platforms offer introductory rates and a free domain for your first year. While this is a common practice, the hosting platforms usually raise your rates after the introductory period. Paying more doesn't make your website show up on Google or load faster. Paying more does not guarantee that your website will look better either. However, the platform you choose does impact the tools that you will have available to build your website. Which brings us to the third and final part of starting a website.
Unless God has granted you with the spritual gift of web development, you are going to have find some way to get your website built. Most platforms mentioned above provide click and add interfaces for designing web pages, while some also offer AI that can help as well. Unfortunately, it will simply take you time to sit down and play around with the tool in order to make your website.
You might have seen the phrase "WordPress" mentioned when building your website. Wordpress is a technology that many platforms use to build, save, and run your website. Just like different models of cars can use the same engine, different platforms use Wordpress as the technology that runs the website. If you build your website on a platform that uses Wordpress, you are able switch between platform providers easier. It can be difficult to move your website so be careful when choosing a platform.
I started fwbsite because I know how overwhelming it is to get started with on a website. My platform is your first step in building your online presence. I take care of the domain name, hosting, and building for you so that you can focus on the ministry God has given you.
Jonathan Lewis is the founder of fwbsite and a dedicated church leader. He created fwbsite to simplify web hosting for FWB churches, allowing them to focus on ministry rather than technical details.
fwbsite is your first step to launching a church website in an affordable way.